June 08, 2016

1. More anti-Semitic conspiracy theories aired by the BBC
2. Gay grandson of Hamas founder granted political asylum in U.S.
3. ISIS burns 19 captured Yazidi women alive in a cage
4. Yazidi MP’s plea for help
5. Israel’s top grades go to an Arab student

MORE ANTI-SEMITIC CONSPIRACY THEORIES AIRED BY THE BBC

[Notes by Tom Gross]

Yet again, the British publicly-funded BBC is giving prominence to absurd anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, as though there might be some truth to them.

The above screenshot reflects what appeared on the BBC News pages throughout Asia and the Middle East for over 24 hours this week on June 6 and 7. It relates to the recent Islamist murders in Bangladesh of atheist bloggers, and of Christians. (H/T BBC Watch.) These kind of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are reminiscent of claims that Israel was also responsible for 9/11 and other Islamist terrorist acts.

The BBC, which is the world’s biggest news broadcaster, is under a British legal obligation both to be accurate and balanced, and not to promote racism or anti-Semitism.

From the BBC’s own web page titled “Inside the BBC”: The BBC’s journalism for international audiences “shares the same values as its journalism for UK audiences: accuracy, impartiality and independence. International audiences should value BBC news and current affairs for providing reliable and unbiased information of relevance, range and depth."

The Head of BBC News and Current Affairs is a subscriber to this email list. On previous occasions when I drew his attention to blatantly anti-Semitic comments on a BBC website, he sent me an apologetic email and said he was having them removed. But is the BBC going to continue to give international prominence to outrageous anti-Semitic conspiracy theories at a time of growing anti-Semitism in Britain and beyond?

GAY GRANDSON OF HAMAS FOUNDER GRANTED POLITICAL ASYLUM IN U.S.

The grandson of Said Bilal, the co-founder of the Hamas Islamist terrorist organization and a former leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, has been granted political asylum in the United States. His life was threatened after it was revealed he was gay. Five of his uncles remain senior Hamas members and some have been the masterminds of suicide attacks on Israeli citizens.

In interviews with the media including CNN he also thanked Israel for helping him to escape. He told The Times of Israel: “The Jewish people were not the monsters I was taught they are. They were actually normal people who showed humanity and compassion in my time of need.”

He originally managed to leave in 2011 (after his father tried to stab him after he was found reading the Christian bible). But he was only granted asylum in recent days after further threats to him from Hamas (a group that British Labour Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn has referred to as his “friends”).

He has now changed his name to “John Calvin” and said he no longer considers himself a Moslem. He is living in New York.

Said Bilal’s grandson being interviewed by CNN in New York’s Washington Square Park, on June 3, 2016.

ISIS BURNS 19 CAPTURED YAZIDI WOMEN ALIVE IN A CAGE

Nineteen Yazidi women were burned alive in a cage last weekend in the ISIS-held Iraqi city of Mosul after refusing to have sex with their “husbands.”

They were among thousands of women from the Yazidi minority who were captured in 2014 to be used as sex slaves and forcibly married to members of the Islamic State (ISIS).

Eyewitnesses told news agencies that the women were put in an iron cage and burned alive in front of a crowd of hundreds of spectators who were forced to watch.

It was meant to serve as warning to thousands of other enslaved Yazidi women and girls that they must “submit and enjoy” having sex with their “husbands,” according to Islamist websites.

The UN says at least 3500 Yazidi women remain in captivity as sex slaves and are daily raped and made to perform all kinds of sexual acts.

The lack of discussion about this (let alone rescue missions) by President Obama, Hillary Clinton and other international leaders is, it seems to me, one of the most disappointing occurrences of our times.

I have several times sought to encourage journalists and political leaders who subscribe to this list to pay greater attention to the Yazidi plight. See for example:

Earlier this year I met with the only female Yazidi member of the Iraqi parliament, Vian Dakhil (She is an Iraqi Yazidi Kurd) who thanked me for my previous dispatches. (An increasing number of Iraqis subscribe to this list.)